


In Bloom

by hunnibee



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, I need some sort of serotonin now that haikyuu is over, M/M, Multi, Slice of Life, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:48:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25412665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunnibee/pseuds/hunnibee
Summary: Kenma was never prepared for the side quest awaiting him with a florist named Kuroo.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 35
Kudos: 350





	1. It's you

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Now that Haikyuu has ended I have been in my feels and I wanted to just write something really sweet and slow burn with some of my faves! I hope you guys like it I am very excited about this!

Honestly no matter the absurd amount of times Kenma had walked down this road, he truly had never noticed the flower shop. At the end of the road, was a coffee shop he frequented, his late nights' editing and gaming making him quite the connoisseur of caffeine. The coffee shop was a nice local place, owned by his friends Yaku and Lev and was located the perfect walking distance from his apartment as well, so it was his daily outing before returning to hours of staring at a screen. He loved it though. 

On this day though, typically, Kenma would drown out the city noises with his headphones but sadly he found them knotted up in a pair of his washed jeans. The static screeching was enough to make him go deaf so, begrudgingly, he decided to still head over, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the harsh noises of the other thousand people in the streets. 

It was hot. Honestly so hot it made him wonder why he would even decide to go out, but the strong craving of coffee was the thing keeping his feet moving. Lost in his thoughts and hating the heat, he didn’t even see the large back he ran into first. 

There was a yell.

Then a crash.

Kenma’s pants felt wet.

He hadn’t even realized he closed his eyes until he slowly opened them, seeing the mess before him. 

A bucket lay on the ground, water pouring into the street and ultimately onto Kenma. The torn and scattered remains of some sort of flower lay before him, the bright colors contrasting the dull pavement. Kenma’s eyes moved up, spotting the red storefront, the overhanging sign reading in a golden yellow font,  _ Bloom.  _

A large hand broke Kenma from his trance, and gradually he noticed the hand was talking to him.

“Hey! Hey! Are you okay? You hit the ground pretty hard-” 

Kenma’s eyes slowly scanned up the hand, over tanned biceps, until he reached the face of the voice. He looked like a rooster.

“I’m fine.” Kenma replied softly, putting his own now noticeable smaller hand into the larger one to pull himself up. His eyes widened as the man began to brush the dirt off of Kenma, not even caring at the close proximity of two complete strangers. 

“Really it’s fine.” Kenma stated. “I ran into you-”, he glanced at all the flowers strewn around them, “I made you drop all these flowers.” The stranger, at least a good couple heads taller than him glanced at him wide-eyed, before noticing all the blossoms on the ground.

“Oh those? Nah you're fine, luckily these are locally grown by a friend, I can get some more no problem.” 

Kenma shook his head reaching into his pocket. “I’d like to just pay for them. It’s my fault.”

“Dude, I said it’s fine. Plus you got more damage than these guys. Your pants are soaked.” He said with a smirk.

Kenma was very confused. Usually, he handled most of his issues this way, but this carefree man in front of him now really threw him for a loop. 

“Hey know what you can do? To pay me back?”

Kenma glanced up and nodded.

The man pointed his head towards a van parked nearby, the sliding door open to reveal more buckets of the same flowers. 

“Help me unload the van? Then we’re even.”

* * *

  
  


“If I would've known you were this unathletic I wouldn't have asked you to help.” The man, formerly known as Kuroo complained. 

Kenma rolled his eyes, stepping carefully into the store with his one bucket of flowers, compared to the three Kuroo was able to hold. 

“I had to pay you back…” Kenma huffed, annoyed already. It wasn’t that he was out of shape, but compared to Kuroo, it definitely made Kenma notice his frail stature. 

“When I was ten I had to haul these back and forth for hours on the farm! That's why I have these bad boys now,” Kuroo grinned, flexing his arms as he set down his buckets. 

Kenma was not impressed. 

“Great for you.”

From the hour Kenma struggled to unload the van he learned quite a lot about Kuroo. Mostly for the fact he never stopped talking. Kenma never was one for idle chit chat, but Kuroo didn’t seem to mind, it seemed he just enjoyed talking about anything to whoever would listen.

“Where were you off to in such a rush anyway?”

Kenma glanced at him, he could feel the sweat on his face rolling down compared to the light sheen on Kuroo’s. 

“Spike.”

“Oh the coffee shop down the road? My friends own that place! I could introduce you-”

“Yaku and Lev?”

The two stopped and stared at each other in silence.

In a small flower shop surrounded by the fragrant air, the clandestine meeting of two strangers happened. 

_ ‘This is how the adventure begins.’  _ Kenma idly decided. 

* * *

  
  


“How do you know Yaku and Lev?” Kuroo asked with a grin, now joining Kenma down the rest of the path to the coffee shop. 

“We went to high school together.” 

Kuroo stared wide-eyed down at Kenma, “No way! So did I! We were on the volleyball team together.” He grinned. “I’m surprised we never met then!”

Kenma nodded. “I’m not into sports, but we had enough mutual friends.”

“I could guess that, from the way you couldn’t lift buckets for shit.” Kuroo cackled. 

The door to Spike was propped open by a sign and the cool air from inside beckoned the two in. Kenma could easily spot the silver hair of Lev, who towered above the other workers behind the counter. Yaku was there as well, managing the register with a smile. 

“Yo Kenma!-” Lev greeted and then smiled even bigger as he noticed the two entering together, “Kuroo too! How did you guys meet?” Yaku noticed as well, giving the two a friendly smile. “I’m surprised you two haven't run into each other before. We all went to the same school after all.”

Kuroo sighed dramatically, leaning on the counter. “Mr. Kozume over here ran into me in front of the store, I dropped a whole bucket of those new Cosmos from Akaashi!” 

Yaku smiled and rolled his eyes. “Sorry you’ve had to deal with this dramatic rooster Kenma. You just getting the usual?”

Kenma nodded, ignoring the attention-seeking whines from Kuroo.

“Yaku! You don't even care about my business!”

“I really don’t Kuroo.”

The two bickered back and forth while Kenma watched. 

It was odd.

Kenma never had a large group of friends. He was way too into his games and career for that but seeing them act like this. Almost made him feel a bit lonely.

Almost.

Lev slid his drink to the end of the counter where Kenma caught it with ease. He headed towards the door when a shout caused him to flinch.

“Just going to leave already?” Kuroo grinned.

Kenma nodded without hesitation. Kuroo laughed loudly, the kind where he threw his head back and filled the small shop with the noise. 

“Well don’t be a stranger! I expect to see you at the shop soon!”

Kenma nodded softly as he tried to quickly make his way out the door.

“Promise!”

Kenma stopped in his tracts, slowly turning back to stare at the tall black haired man. 

“Promise you will come to visit me, Kenma.” 

It was probably the caffeine that made his pulse quicken.

Kenma’s eyes narrowed as he uttered a soft, “No,” before exiting.

He could still hear the loud roar of laughter even from outside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and thank you for reading the first chapter of Bloom! I am very excited to see where this goes, and as always, comments and feedback are always appreciated :) xoxoxoxo


	2. They say that the world was built for two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Overworked and exhausted Kenma finds himself in the middle of a brand new adventure with some new friends.

As expected, Kenma never did return to Bloom. Cooped up within his apartment, eyes glued to the bright screen, that loud florist was the last thing on his mind. Then again, he still  _ was _ on his mind. Kenma never would admit it, but his life despite the good qualities was hard. A self-made gaming icon, every hour of the day he would receive emails begging for reviews of games, reviews on gaming setups or chairs, or keyboards. From what he chooses, Kenma always felt it was his responsibility to play games to their fullest, to provide his audience with his real feelings on a game. Every other day, for two hours between editing, he would stream his personal favorite games. After streaming, he had his ranks to uphold on competitive online games. It may seem like a dream to others, but it was starting to take a toll on him. 

Leaning back in his chair with a sigh, his aching hands reached up to rub his eyes harshly, cans of energy drinks strewn about his desk. Stretching his legs he stood up from his desk to take a brisk walk around the room, peeking out his blinds only to be blinded by the harsh sunlight. It was pretty normal for him to lose track of time, but the sluggish feeling in his body informed him he may have gone too far. His eyes softly glanced at the sidewalk so far below him, softly watching the figures of people moving below. Kenma honestly hadn’t even noticed how heavily he was leaning against the wall until he had to forcibly get himself to stand up straight.

He needed a break.

He definitely needed a break.

_ ‘I could walk to Spike…’ _

He shook his head lightly, he honestly couldn't even fathom going out into the undoubtedly scorching sun. 

What was he going to do?

_ ‘I could message Lev to drop something off…’  _

The image of the tall half Russian messing around on his console popped into his head causing a groan, Lev never could keep his hands to himself. Taking one last peek out the blinds, Kenma’s eyes narrowed. The street in front of the window went down for miles, and his trained eye could easily spot Spike. Since he could spot the cafe, he allowed his gaze to slowly travel down the block, only a few doors down, to the swaying sign of Bloom. 

He watched carefully, no sign of the loud rooster head anywhere. 

_ ‘Well...it is closer.’ _

* * *

Kenma was right about the heat. Even in his short sleeve shirt he could feel the heat scorching underneath it. There was a reason he wasn’t into actual sports and preferred to game in the comfort of his cool apartment. The door to Bloom wasn’t open, so he reached out a hand to swiftly pull the door open, causing a small bell to chime alerting the worker of his presence. The inside was small, overcrowded by large buckets and baskets of flowers in every color. The air was sweet, almost too sweet, enough so Kenma knew he would be smelling like this for the rest of the night. His eyes wandered over the delicately made bouquets, small tags around the brown paper keeping them together. He gently reached out to one, noticing the swirling calligraphy similar to the one on the sign outside. This particular bouquet contained all purple flowers, some Kenma could recognize just barely. The tag, however, gave a full in depth description of the contents. 

_ ‘Hydrangeas convey emotion and understanding while resting in between clouds of Lilac which represent tranquility and passion. The tall stalks framing these ideas are Lavender, which represents devotion. All of which we wish you and you're loved one.-Bloom’ _

Kenma huffed a bit as he read.

_ ‘Whoever wrote this...has to be the corniest person in the world.’  _

Despite the cheesiness of the notes, Kenma found himself reaching for another, and another after that. It definitely was interesting enough, learning what each of the flowers meant, and Kenma’s hunger for knowledge egged him on. A cough interrupted his train of thought. His cat likes eyes scanned up, noticing the large table and register, along with piles of flowers looking to be wrapped in scattered brown paper. A man leaned on the counter, a red apron with a name tag showing  _ Akaashi.  _ Kenma’s eyes widened as the name struck a memory from just the week prior.

_ “...I dropped a whole bucket of those new Cosmos from Akaashi!”  _

Kenma met his eyes.  _ ‘So this is Akaashi.’ _

“May I help you?” Akaashi asked, his hands returning to laying flowers methodically in the paper. Kenma watched, a bit entranced by the process. 

“I live nearby...and I’ve never been inside.” 

Akaashi nodded, “Are you looking for any type of bouquet?”

Kenma shook his head, “No, but-” He angled his body back towards the walls of flowers, “Are you the one who writes the notes? In the tags?”

Akaashi smiled.

“Some of them. Mostly the owner writes them. I help out on occasion.”

Kenma nodded absentmindedly. 

Akaashi watched carefully, “Excuse me if I’m wrong but...are you Kenma Kozume?” 

Kenma turned back with wide eyes and nodded softly.

Akaashi gave him a small smile. “Thought so. Kuroo described you perfectly. He told me to keep an eye out if you ever came back in.” 

Kenma’s eyebrows furrowed a bit.  _ ‘Why would Kuroo do that?’  _

Akaashi noticed Kenma’s expression and chuckled, finishing the last touches on the bouquet. 

“Kuroo is rather loud and abrasive at times, but he means well. He and my husband get along great.” 

Kenma allowed himself to take a few steps closer to the counter.

“Your husband?”

Akaashi nodded, “His name is Bokuto Koutaro. Kuroo, Bo, and I all met through volleyball. It was the thing that brought us all together. After college, Kuroo opened up the shop while Bo and I moved and started a farm. We all help each other out when needed.” 

Kenma nodded. There was a strange feeling in his chest. That...pit he gets whenever he isn’t focused and misses out on a play of the game with the rest of the team. Or when he is away on business and sees photos of Yaku and Lev with their other friends on adventures. Kenma was a solitary person, but he was only human. He also got lonely. He also got jealous. 

Kenma was so lost in his thoughts he almost didn't hear the sigh Akaashi let out. 

“Speak of the devils…” 

The front door swung open aggressively, the familiar cackle of Kuroo bouncing in along with the laughter of someone else. 

“Akaashi! Come help unload the van!” The other voice called, while Akaashi was already stepping out from behind the counter. 

“We have a customer Bo.” Akaashi stated before giving Kenma a smile. 

“He will be happy to see you.” 

Kenma watched as Akaashi moved to the front of the store, being quickly greeted by a large man with spiky hair. Kenma watched as the man, Bokuto, wrapped his arms around Akaashi’s waist, lifting him off the ground with ease. The act of affection made Kenma feel...out of place. His feet unconsciously moved in towards himself and his hands fidgeted in front of him. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he hadn't even had caffeine. 

Akaashi slapped Bokuto’s arm, signaling to lower him down. 

“Kuroo, Kenma is here!” 

There was a loud pounding of feet on the concrete before the familiar head of Kuroo popped into the door as well.

“Really?!” Kuroo’s eyes quickly found Kenma’s. A large smile broke out on his face. “You’re here? Finally!”

Kenma nodded, deciding the best place to hide his fidgeting hands was behind his back. 

“I finally got a break today.”

Kuroo’s eyes furrowed in concern. “Dude, it’s been a week and some days since I last saw you! You need to take time to rest. Your job is that crazy?” 

Kenma only nodded. Kuroo noticed and didn’t push it. 

“Well I see you’ve met Akaashi! That’s his husband and a friend of mine, Bokuto.” 

Bokuto gave a big grin as he entered the shop, lugging more buckets of flowers with Akaashi trailing behind him. 

“Hey! Nice to meet you Kenma! Kuroo here wouldn’t shut up about the younger classmen he met last week. Thanks for coming in, maybe now he will stop making me work so hard!”

Kuroo rolled his eyes and gave a sharp slap to Bokuto’s back as he passed. “I only need you for the manual labor, jerk.” 

The three shared a laugh while Kenma watched. It was like in his games, he sat in his world while watching the interactions of the players. Only now, Kenma had no options of what to say. That made him nervous. 

Kuroo side eyed the small blonder before laying a large hand on his shoulder.

Kenma stiffened under his touch. 

“Hey, I can leave those two hear to close up shop, so I can walk you back to your apartment!” Kuroo grinned but received a prompt shake of the head from Kenma. 

“That's not necessary.”

Kuroo only smiled bigger, “Cmon, Kenma. We're friends now! Let's go.”

_ ‘Friends…’ _

Kuroo was already waving his goodbyes to Akaashi and Bokuto, both of who were standing behind the counter. 

Akaashi gave a smile to Kenma, “See you around Kenma.” 

Kenma gave a polite wave to the both of them, jogging out of the sticky sweet smelling store to catch up with Kuroo, who was already walking in the wrong direction. 

“It’s this way.”

Kuroo whipped around, now having to catch up with Kenma.

“Thanks for stopping by, too bad Bo and I were out picking up stock. I trust Akaashi helped you out though right?”

Kenma nodded, having to crane his head up to glance at Kuroo. “Yea he was good.”

“Which bouquet did you like the best?”

Kenma stared up at him. 

“What?”

Kuroo chuckled, “Which bouquet, in the shop, did you like the best?”

It wasn’t a hard choice. There was one that lingered on Kenma’s mind. In the corner of the store, right before he met Akaashi, was a single bouquet of white violets and gardenias. It wasn’t as extravagant as some of the others, but the simpleness appealed to Kenma. It reminded him of the open areas in Breath of the Wild. They made him feel at peace. The tag, unlike the others, did not describe the contents of the bouquet, but rather, in those swirling letters spelled out-

_ Let's Take a Chance on Happiness.  _

“The white violets and gardenias...by the counter.”

Kuroo nodded, closing his eyes as if he was retracing his way through the shop.

_ ‘There's no way he could know-’ _

Kuroo snapped his fingers, “Let’s Take a Chance on Happiness, right?” 

Kenma stopped in his tracks for a second, before moving again at a slightly slower pace. His apartment was getting closer. 

If Kuroo noticed he didn't mention it, matching his pace with Kenma. 

“I made that one after I played some Zelda game, the colors reminded me of the palette they used in the game-”

“That’s what I thought of when I saw it!”

Kenma’s eyes widened as the outburst left his lips. One sure fire way to get him talking was about his favorite games. 

Kuroo blinked quickly before smiling, “Well then I did good right? I’ll make another one based off a game and you’ll have to come see if I did it right.”

His apartment door was too close now. Kenma, oh so quiet and meek for once didn’t want to return to his life. 

Kuroo let out a whistle, head tilt back to see the full height of the building. 

“Dang you secretly rich or something? This is one nice place Kozume.”

Kenma shrugged, pulling out his keys slowly.

_ Just a couple more minutes... _

“I work hard.” 

“I wouldn’t doubt it. Well I’ll see you around Kenma!” Kuroo turned on his heels back towards the shop, while Kenma stared at his hand shaking ever so slightly. 

_ Say something. _

_ Say something. _

_ Say something. _

_ Say something. _

“Hey Kenma!”

Kenma’s neck let out a crack at how hard he turned.

Kuroo was a bit farther down the street, far enough so he had to raise his voice so Kenma could hear. 

“I want you to come back tomorrow too! Help me out with some ideas! I’ll pay you!” 

“We’ll see.”

Once Kenma’s apartment door finally closed behind him, he let out a small breath, one he didn't know he was holding in, and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another chapter down! I indulged myself with some Bokuto and Akaashi because well...I wanted too :) This chapter is kind of based on some emotions I get quite often, working so hard because you want to succeed but also that feeling that you are missing out on other adventures in life. Sometimes we just need to be a little selfish and take time for ourselves you know? I'm personally excited about when we get to see Kuroo in Kenma's workspace...in my head, Kuroo only plays Breath of the Wild to tame horses and collect Korok seeds. :) Comments and feedback are always appreciated and I hope to see you soon.


	3. Everything I do

Kenma never listened if he didn’t want to do something. Regardless if it was schoolwork or gameplay if Kenma was not interested that was the end of it. Luckily for Kuroo, Kenma found himself intrigued by Floriography. 

“So, these mean devotion, and these-” Kenma pointed one finger towards the bundle of flowers before him, “Asters mean patience right?” 

Kuroo couldn’t help the large grin on his face, “You learn pretty quick, sure you don’t want to work here?”

Kenma shook his head, “No thank you-” and Kuroo let out a loud laugh. 

After their last encounter, Kenma decided to make sure he was giving himself proper breaks in between his schedule, still pushing himself of course but whenever he needed a slight break, he found himself calmest in Bloom. 

Kuroo was behind the counter today, wrapping up orders for delivery. 

“What is on your schedule today?”

Kenma leaned against the counter thinking a bit. Kuroo smiled at his actions, it reminded him of a cat making itself at home. 

“I have two new games to review, 5 ranked matches, and a review on this new energy drink I’ve been using.” 

Kuroo let out a low whistle, “That’s a big order Kozume.” 

Kenma nodded absentmindedly, enjoying the methodic routine of arranging flowers. Kuroo raised an eyebrow watching him from the corner of his eye. An idea struck his mind. Grinning, Kuroo slid a bundle of flowers to Kenma, the leftovers of the orders, and one vase. 

“Make something. Use your new knowledge.”

Kenma sat up a bit, eyeing all the fragrant stems in front of him. 

“It’s fine. I don’t want to mess it up.”

Kuroo rolled his eyes, moving it even closer to him, “It’s fine Kenma, just relax and try. If you don’t I’ll kick you out.” 

Kenma managed one small smile before letting his finger assess the flowers. It wasn’t that he wasn’t creative, far from it, but there was creativity in his structure, so being able to do something so relaxed made him nervous. Gently, he picked up one stem, Honeysuckle, he recalled and placed it in the vase. 

One down more to go.

Kuroo watched the younger man bite his lip as he decided what to do next. It was honestly so amusing to him, this rigid young guy freaking out over some flowers, but in a way, also made him feel bad. He didn’t know much about Kenma’s life but from what he gathered, it was pretty stressful. Kuroo always liked to think of himself as a big brother to his friends, he wanted them to succeed and be their best. When he first saw Kenma now, years later, he realized just how much he wanted to help him out. Call it what you want, but Kuroo considered himself the ‘best’ best friend anyone could ever have. Kenma just...didn’t know that part yet. 

A small cough broke Kuroo out of his daze, and he eagerly looked down at the vase.

He couldn't help but laugh.

“Kenma...I’m sorry it looks terrible.”

Kenma flushed a bit at the comment, his eyebrows furrowing. 

Kuroo tilted his head back again, letting out that joyously annoying laugh Kenma was beginning to loathe. 

“You just stuck all the flowers in there you goof! You didn't arrange them at all!”

Now, despite his quiet demeanor, Kenma was not one for being made fun of. His hand shot out quickly, sliding the vase of flowers aggressively towards Kuroo. He reacted quickly enough, catching the vase before it slid off the counter. 

“Whatever,” Kenma muttered, picking up his jacket off of the floor and turning to leave.

Kuroo knew he had a big mouth.

He also realized how much he fucked up. 

“Hey hey w-whoa! C’mon Kenma I was just joking!”

“You're not funny.” Kenma replied back icily, reaching the front door faster than Kuroo had ever seen him move. 

“Kenma, hey I am sorry I shouldn’t have said that!”

Kenma slowed his footsteps, just enough so Kuroo could reach him before he got to the door. 

_ ‘I shouldn't be messing around here anyways. I have work to do.’  _ Kenma thought bitterly. He could feel Kuroo behind him, waves of worry coming off of him. 

“Kenma…”

Kuroo placed one large hand on his shoulder, by now Kenma was accustomed to the weight, and turned him around. 

“Hey look I am sorry, I thought we were just playing around…”

“We weren’t.”

Kuroo winced at the harshness in the smaller one's tone and sighed with a smile, nodding his head.

“Yeah I get that now...hey how bout I finish up these orders and we do something you want to do? A friend's day out hm?”

Kenma looked up at Kuroo’s face. It was hopeful and waiting for his reply. He nodded softly, placing his hands in his pockets. 

“Fine, but it’s all up to me.”

* * *

Kuroo never wished he could take back something as much as he wished he would let Kenma decide what they would spend their afternoon doing. 

Once Kuroo had finished the orders, they closed up the store together and Kenma started the trek to his apartment. 

“We're hanging out at your place?” Kuroo asked, a puzzled look on his face. He honestly thought Kenma would say something like they were going to go play chess at a park or go to a museum, but instead, Kuroo found himself in front of the expensive housing Kenma resided in. 

Kenma gave a simple nod of his head as he used his keycard on the pad in front of the door, sweeping open quickly to reveal a grand lobby full of bellmen and clerks. Kuroo let out a whistle as he glanced around, amazed by the splendor. A bellhop by the doors gave them a polite bow.

“Good afternoon Mr. Kozume.”

Kenma gave a shy nod to him and continued on, Kuroo gawked at the interaction.

“Seriously Kozume how loaded are you!?” 

Kenma gave a shrug. Kuroo was afraid to know the answer. 

The elevator looked like it cost more than everything in Bloom combined and suddenly Kuroo felt very out of place. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, revealing yet another employee in front of the buttons.

“Ah Mr. Kozume, I’m surprised to see you have a guest.”

Kenma nodded as he stepped in, “A...friend of mine.”

It was official, Kuroo was dead.

_ ‘Even after we fought he still calls me his friend!’  _ Kuroo couldn't help the dopey grin on his face and almost didn't even notice when Kenma was out of the elevator. 

“Cmon, Kuroo.”

Kuroo shook his head, giving a large grin to the worker before exiting. He watched as Kenma approached the nearest door and stuck his key inside, opening the door quickly.

Let's just say, Kuroo didn’t know what to expect.

The place, for the most part, was tidy. The only sign of life was the hundreds of empty coffee and energy drink cans strewn about the place, and the largest PC setup by the window. The tv had hundreds of consoles and controllers, along with at least five different pairs of headphones. He could spot inside what must've been Kenma’s bedroom and noticed the abundance of blankets and pillows on the bed. 

_ ‘He’s like a little kitten’  _ Kuroo thought fondly as he watched Kenma move quickly to retrieve whatever it was he needed to get. Kenma approached the large PC setup and motioned for Kuroo to join him. 

“Now Kenma when you said you were a pro gamer, I’m going to be honest I didn’t think you really meant a  _ Pro Gamer _ .” Kuroo admitted, taking a seat in the relaxing gaming chair. 

“Why would I lie about that?” Kenma answered, already using the mouse and keyboard to log on to some online game. 

Kuroo gave a shrug, “I don’t know, trying to impress me maybe?” He said with a raised brow. Kenma rolled his eyes unimpressed. 

It was unbelievable how quick Kenma moved on the computer, Kuroo honestly couldn’t even keep up just watching him. 

“So what do you have planned for us?” Kuroo asked, genuinely curious. Kenma placed a large pair of headphones on his head before passing another pair to Kuroo, helping him adjust the mic and the band. 

“I have to stream at five.”

Kuroo glanced at his phone. 

“Kenma it’s 4:57 why am I in your chair then?”

It hit Kuroo too quickly. 

“Kenma I am not going to embarrass myself playing video games in front of all these people they want to see you play!”

Kenma shrugged.

“I’ll be playing too. Both of us.” 

Kenma moved the mouse and hit the platforms, LIVE button.

-11.6k viewers

“ELEVEN THOUSAND VIEWERS HOLY SHI-”

Kenma promptly stomped on Kuroo’s foot, shutting him up.

“Hello everyone, it’s Kodzuken. Today is a very special stream because I have a friend here with me.” Kenma turned to Kuroo, and he could swear Kenma had a smirk on his face.

“Please introduce yourself.”

Kuroo made a mental note to toss this kid like a sack of potatoes the next chance he got. 

“U-um hey, guys...it’s uh…” Kuroo’s eyes moved around quickly to find  _ ANY  _ chance of help. “Um hey it’s uh..Bloom…”

Kenma gave him a raised eyebrow before continuing. 

“Bloom is pretty new to gaming so I thought we could just take it easy and play Mario Kart.”

Kuroo visibly shuddered as the viewer count jumped to 30k. 

The comments were enough to distract him the entire stream. 

- _ owlprince: He looks like a newb :(  _

_ -keengofdacourt: I want to stream with you Kodzuken!!!!  _

_ -Littlegiant: He looks pretty cute tho _

_ -Milkbread123: whats his @ Im gonna slide in those dms _

And so on.

Kuroo watched as Kenma quickly manipulated the controls to pull up the switch screen and easily passed Kuroo some controllers. 

His palms were sweating. 

Kenma was moving quickly, pulling up the character screen. He swiftly selected his player. 

“Ah, so you're a Bowser Jr. fan?” Kuroo grinned, selecting his character as well.

“Kitty Peach?” Kenma gave him a side eye while Kuroo shrugged. 

“Choose the circuit.” Kenma instructed allowing Kuroo to take the reins.

“Hmmmm...I’m not a bitch-oh can I say that? I mean I’m not a baby, let's go rainbow road.”

Kenma couldn't help but roll his eyes but in a...fond way. 

Kuroo held his breath as the race started.

3...2..1..

* * *

Before Kuroo knew it it was almost 10pm. They were still streaming and he surprisingly hadn’t gotten tired yet. To be honest, he was having a lot of fun. Kenma seemed to only become more alive at night, probably due to the multiple all-nighters he pulls for work. It made Kuroo a bit happier, to see Kenma in his element. They switched from Mario Kart to other games like Overwatch and Animal Crossing now Kenma was trying to teach him how to ‘main’ Mccree on overwatch. 

“It’s hard playing with the mouse…” Kuroo grumbled, glaring at the defeat screen that lit the room red. 

Kenma rolled his eyes, his screen showed him earning some medals for playing as Genji. 

“Here let’s try again. Go to the practice range.” 

Kuroo followed his instructions and eventually got to where he needed to go, but what Kuroo wasn't expecting was to feel a tentative touch on his hand. In between his fumbling on the keyboard, Kenma had gotten up from his chair and was leaning beside Kuroo, staring at his screen. Kenma’s hand was placed gently on top of Kuroo's, guiding the mouse with ease. 

“You shoot like this…”

Kenma’s hand applied pressure to Kuroo’s fingers.

Kuroo felt hot. 

Maybe it was all the energy drinks but, his heart was suddenly going ape shit. 

Kenma’s hand felt so soft, softer than Kuroo imagined compared to the rough farm worn skin of his. Kenma also smelled like clean laundry. The kind he would want to hold close and bury his face into. Kenma was even leaning in so close his blonde strands of hair were tickling the sides of Kuroo’s face and Kuroo  _ knew  _ if he turned his head, Kenma would be right there.

So close to him. 

The chat was exploding. 

- _ Littlegiant: YOOO WHY HE SO CLOSE THO _

_ -Milkbread123: I ship it…. _

_ -Keengofdacourt: THAT SHOULD BE MEEEEEEE  _

_ -Owlprince: but like can yall play a game now tho _

If Kenma noticed the chat he didn't show it, he kept his hand on top of Kuroo’s and his other hand around the chair.

“Then when you need to ult..do this.” Kenma pushed some keys and the familiar twang of  _ It’s High Noon  _ rang out into the room. Kuroo nodded, unable to find..any words.

Kenma turned his head to look at his screen, monitoring the comments. 

Kuroo swore he saw him smile.

“You guys are funny,” Was all he said. 

By 11pm, Kenma started his closing routine, thanking his sponsors and stuff while Kuroo watched. 

“Lastly thank you to Bloom,” he said with a side-eye to Kuroo, “For joining me.”

Kuroo gave a cheesy smile to the webcam and waved.

Kenma quickly ended the video and leaned back within his chair, removing his headset and letting out a sigh. 

“I haven't streamed for that long..in a while.” Kenma stated, his voice changing from the more formal voice he used online to his usual monotone one. 

Kuroo felt a wave of exhaustion overtake him, groaning as he stretched his arms out in front of him.

“You really are a pro-gamer, Kozume.” Kuroo smiled, swiveling his chair to face Kenma’s. Kenma rolled his eyes as he stood up, removing their multiple cans of energy drinks and throwing them away. 

Luckily for Kuroo, Akaashi was going to open Bloom tomorrow so at least he could get some rest. He let out a loud yawn as Kenma walked back into the room, a pile of clothes in his arms. 

“Laundry?” Kuroo asked. Kenma shook his head. 

“No, just spend the night. These are too big for me.”

_ ‘Is the damn AC broken? Why does it keep getting so hot?’  _ Kuroo shook off the warmth spreading to his face as he gave Kenma a smile. 

“I’ll take the couch then.” 

Kenma lay in his bed, the door open so he could hear in case Kuroo needed anything. 

Kuroo lay on the couch, a small blanket tossed over his legs as he crossed his arms behind his head. The pajama’s Kenma lent him were still far too small, the top barely covering the middle of his stomach. 

“Hey Kenma?” Kuroo called, his voice echoing in the wide room.

There was a small grunt, which Kuroo took as a sign Kenma was awake.

“On the stream...you called me your friend.”

Silence.

“So...we're good right? Were friends?” 

More silence. Part of Kuroo wondered if Kenma was actually asleep. Getting off the coach Kuroo approached the bedroom door, leaning against the frame. His eyes found Kenma’s who was tucked under his abundance of blankets. 

Kenma slowly blinked.

“Yeah…”

It was the softest he had ever heard Kenma’s voice. The light was creeping in from the kitchen, gently illuminating Kenma’s room. He looked so small,  _ so much smaller  _ than Kuroo who seemed to loom in the doorframe, in his pajama shorts and crop top. It also made him happy that Kenma wanted to be his friend. 

He felt so happy.

“Well, good luck getting rid of me now Kozume.” Kuroo grinned before taking a step back to the living room. 

It was so quiet. 

If Kuroo hadn’t stopped he would’ve probably missed it.

“Good night Kuro.”

It was the softest voice he had ever heard, yet his smile only grew bigger. Kuroo couldn't control the giddy feeling in his body as he hopped back onto the couch, tugging the blanket back onto his body

“Night Kenma.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I really wanted to get Kuroo in Kenma's space and the image of Kenma teaching Kuroo how to play games made me cry :) I kind of mapped out how the story is going so the plan so far is around 11-12 chapters! I hope I will continue to feel inspired in posting but I am honestly having such a fun time! Next chapter we get to see Kuroo showing off any guesses where they will be going? As always comments and feedback are always appreciated and I will see you next time! xoxoxo


	4. Honey, is that true?

Kenma closed his eyes gently, letting the breeze waft through his blonde hair. Right now, he was hanging out of the window of a small truck, zipping through the countryside. On his side was Kuroo, smiling widely while singing along to some 90’s pop songs. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. It almost made Kenma feel a bit nervous since he was so used to the confined spaces of the city. 

“Doesn't the air just feel so great out here Kozume!? It’s totally different from city air!” 

Kenma glanced at his counterpart lazily.

“Sure.”

Kuroo grinned as he pressed on the gas, causing Kenma to quickly reach for the door handle. 

He had been driving like this for hours.

Honestly, it was a surprise to Kuroo that Kenma ever wanted to come. He figured someone like Kenma would prefer spending his off days sleeping in. He had brought it up to Kenma the morning after their game night.

“So...next weekend I have to head out to the farm. It's super big and beautiful and honestly looks just like Breath of the Wild! You should really come!”

Kenma stood adjacent to him at the kitchen counter, his sweater paws gripping his morning coffee tightly. His eyes were still glazed over in a dream-like state which was probably the reason he let out a sleepy, “ _ Sure…”  _

Kuroo took that answer and ran with it. 

Even despite Kenma trying to get out of the trip, saying he didn’t want to, after one very long and loud facetime call with Akaashi and Bokuto who also begged him to come, Kenma gave in.

Now here they were, speed racing through the endless green fields.

From the distance, Kenma could spot a large house, with lots of trees and fields surrounding it. His eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward in his seat to try and see it a little better. 

“Is that it?”

Kuroo nodded, “Yep that's the place!” 

It honestly did look like something out of a Studio Ghibli movie, and that thought brought a small smile to Kenma’s face.

The truck pulled into the gravel driveway, the engine dying down as Kuroo removed the keys. 

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Kenma flinched at the loud voice that rang through the property, his eyes quickly spotting a grinning Bokuto, waving his arms from the nearest flower field. 

Kuroo smiled and waved back, cupping his hands around his mouth.

“Where’s Akaashi!?”

Bokuto thought for a moment before shrugging, “Don’t know! Inside probably!”

Kuroo nodded as he turned back to Kenma with a smile, “Let’s head on inside, we’ll have to get changed before we get to work.”

“Work…” Kenma sighed, finding his footsteps ten times more sluggish than they were before. Kuroo rolled his eyes and hung an arm loosely around Kenma’s shoulders, steering him into the house. 

It honestly looked like something out of a magazine. Kenma glanced around the interior, the walls painted in bright whites and blues. There were photos on the walls as well, some Kenma could easily piece together. 

There were two graduation photos. 

_ ‘Bokuto is older than Akaashi…’ _ Kenma realized and continued on down the hall.

There was a group photo of the Fukurodani volleyball team, Bokuto grinning with his arm around Akaashi’s shoulders. The next photo made Kenma stop slightly. 

It was taken in the fields by the house, he realized. 

Bokuto and Akaashi stood in the field, both wearing fine tailored suits. Bokuto was resting his forehead against Akaashi’s with a serene smile on his face, while Akaashi had his hands resting on Bokuto’s face. On their fingers were two matching silver bands, sparkling in the evening light. 

_ ‘It’s their wedding photo.’  _

“He cleans up nicely doesn’t he?”

Kenma turned his head, eyes widened in surprise as he came face to face with Akaashi’s shoulder. 

“We got married only a year ago, but honestly it feels longer than that.” 

Akaashi had on a blue apron, similar to the ones they would wear at Bloom, and he was wiping his hands on the edges, smudges of dirt darkening the front of it. Despite the obvious signs of exhaustion on his face, his eyes twinkled as he looked at the photo. 

“It looks like you guys had a very nice ceremony,” Kenma said politely. 

“Have you ever thought about getting married too, Kenma?”

Akaashi’s eyes met Kenma’s as he slowly shrugged. 

“It’s never really crossed my mind.” 

Akaashi smiled and patted him lightly on the back. 

“It’ll happen eventually.” 

Akaashi tilted his head in a  _ follow me  _ way as he led Kenma up the stairs to a few bedrooms. 

“You’ll probably want to change, the rain caused everything to get a bit muddy,” Akaashi explained, pulling out clothes from an old wardrobe. 

“Go ahead and put this on. Meet me outside when you're ready.”

The clothes smelled like laundry detergent and flowers. 

Kenma slowly began changing, removing his t-shirt and jeans to be replaced by a soft shirt and some overalls. Akaashi even brought him a large sunhat, after he had informed him he was quite prone to sunburns. The clothes were baggy, but comfortable nonetheless. 

Descending down the stairs, Kenma could already hear the loud chaos of Bokuto and Akaashi from the kitchen. Peering around the corner he was greeted by the group gathered around the kitchen table, Akaashi pouring some lemonade for them. He slowly approached the table as well, Akaashi greeting him with a chilled cup. 

“Today the Hydrangeas and Roses are in bloom, so let's tackle those first,” Kuroo instructed as Bokuto nodded. 

“Kenma and I can handle the roses, so if you and Akaashi want to handle the others we could finish up rather quickly.” 

The group agreed with the plans, finishing their drinks quickly before exiting out the kitchens patio door. 

* * *

It smelled too sweet.

Surrounded by the tall rows of rose bushes, Kenma was dwarfed in comparison. The bushes were tall and green, and the thorns were about as long as one of his fingers. The sun was now beaming down on them, and Kenma was silently grateful for the large straw hat Akaashi gave him. It had been a good couple hours since they started to work and Kenma was disgusted by the amount of sweat that was dripping off his face. 

“Those are a little too short Kozume, here watch again.”

Kenma blinked quickly as he focused back to the task at hand, using large shears to cut the stems. He glanced at Kuroo beside him, sweat was rolling down his cheeks and onto the soil below. Kenma also noticed Kuroo had the habit of biting his lip when he concentrated. 

“Cut right here, and hold the stem at the top so the thorns don't get ya’.” He instructed, demonstrating the technique again with ease. 

Kenma nodded as he turned to his row, angling the shears right at the base but retracted his handle quickly with a wince. 

“Ow…” He muttered, pulling his arm back to reveal a long cut down his pale arm. 

He heard shears drop as Kuroo raced to his side, quickly grabbing onto his arm.

“You okay Kenma!?” He asked with concern, his eyes darting from the cut to Kenmas face. 

It suddenly was a little warmer, Kenma could feel the heat rising to his face.

Kuroo stood before him, close enough he could feel the puffs of heat from his breath. His figure had to hunch over to hold onto Kenma’s arm, so if Kenma looked forward all he could see was his chest. His arms were exposed, he must've rolled up his sleeves as they worked. Tanned skin from years of work outside, as well as the large muscles that came with it. 

Kenma never realized how different they were. 

“Kozume you there?”

_ ‘Look up Kenma…’ _

Kenma slowly let his eyes wander up, past Kuroo’s neck to the sharp line of his jaw, to the sweat dripping down his cheeks, to finally meet his eyes. 

_ ‘Why is it suddenly so hot?’  _ Kenma grumbled in his mind. 

“You look a little red Kenma, let's get you out of the sun and patched up!”

“It’s fine… a bandaid will be fine.”

Kuroo shook his head, “We really gotta clean it! I don't want you getting sick.”

“Kuroo it’s fine really-”

Kenma really should've known better. Kuroo had quickly pulled Kenma closer to him, easily scooping him up into his arms and against his broad chest. 

Kenma was as red as the roses themselves. 

“Kuroo put me down, this is embarrassing!” Kenma hissed, using his free hand to push and struggle out of his grasp. 

Kuroo grinned, his typical shit eating mischievous grin. “Well you wouldn't listen to logic, so we gotta do it like this!” 

It felt too hot to be this close to him.

Kenma could smell his sweat and much to his anger, Kuroo still smelled like flowers. 

Kuroo began the walk back to the house, through the many rows of roses. The two were sheltered from any other eyes, just these two together in a small pocket of the world. Kenma glumly looked down at his arm, the cut now red and irritated, much like himself. He wouldn't dare look up at Kuroo, no doubt he still had that grin on his face. The two moved in silence, and Kenma could almost swear he could feel the pounding of Kuroo’s heart through his chest. 

“I appreciate you coming out here Kozume.”

Kenma nodded and shifted a bit in his arms.

He had never heard Kuroo speak so softly. 

“No really I mean it...this place is really special to us, so I’m glad you’re here.”

The air was too suffocating, it was getting harder to breathe and the house seemed so far away. 

“Hey Kenma, do you remember in highschool when-”

Kuroo was interrupted by a loud gasp as they emerged from the rose bushes. Akaashi and Bokuto were in front of the house, putting their buckets of Hydrangeas into the truck when Akaashi spotted the two.

“What happened!?” Akaashi asked with worry, like a mom whose child fell over. 

“Just a scratch…” Kenma mumbled.

“He wouldn't let me clean it back there so I dragged him here! Plus it's almost time for dinner right?” 

Akaashi sighed but nodded, dusting his hands off on his pants. 

“You’re right...let's call it a day.” 

Kuroo gently set Kenma back onto his feet as Akaashi led them back inside the home. 

* * *

  
  


Kuroo knew a lot about Kenma, but what he didn't know was how big of a cry baby he was. 

The two sweaty men sat in the bathroom together, Kenma sitting on the counter while Kuroo was using his self-proclaimed ‘doctor senses’ to clean Kenma’s cut. 

“Shit Kuroo it hurts!”

Kuroo rolled his eyes as he dabbed at the cut with a small cotton swab, gently disinfecting the wound. 

“C’mon Kozume, every time you complain now you owe me five dollars.” 

Kemna hissed under his breath but bit his lip to prevent any more comments from coming out.

_ ‘How cute…’  _ Kuroo thought with glee. 

After he was done cleaning, Kuroo placed one simple bandaid on Kenma’s forearm. 

“All done!” He said with a smile, packing away the first aid kit. Kenma glanced at his arm, the soft touch of Kuroo still lingering on his skin. The bathroom wasn't small, but somehow Kuroo had the ability to close in on Kenma’s bubble, choosing to stand between his legs while he worked. 

Kenma never liked being overly close with others, yet somehow Kuroo always managed to wiggle his way into his space. 

He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. 

They were always so close.

It was always so hard to breathe when Kuroo was around.

Kuroo still stood in front of him, a smile on his face. 

“You good Kozume?” He asked, his voice lowered so it wouldn't echo through the bathroom.

_ ‘Am I good?’  _ Kenma thought while fidgeting on the spot.

God, he was so close.

There was a soft knock at the door as Bokuto popped his head in, a smile on his face. Kuroo slowly retreated from his spot without much care. 

“Hey! Akaashi just finished up dinner, so whenever you guys are ready to come down!” 

They both gave him a nod before Bokuto left them, the air in the bathroom still claustrophobic to Kenma. 

* * *

The spread Akaashi somehow whipped up in the short time they were in the bathroom, honestly boggled Kuroo and Kenma’s minds. As they came down the stairs, the same table they had lemonade at earlier was covered in a variety of dishes, from skewered meats to tofu dishes. Kenma’s stomach grumbled intensely as if he hadn't eaten in days. 

“Damn Akaashi thanks for the meal!” Kuroo grinned thankfully as he took a seat at the table. Akaashi waved off his compliment. 

“It’s no problem, thank you both for the help today.” 

Kenma nodded his thanks which Akaashi received with a smile. Kenma gently took a pair of chopsticks before joining the other in digging in. 

He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had a home cooked meal. 

Or the last time he joined friends around a dinner table.

It wasn’t that Kenma was partial to his reclusive nature, but his job was so demanding he often couldn't get away enough with others. 

Yet here he was, smiling at this small table with a group of people he never thought he would be with. Akaashi was rolling his eyes while Bokuto recounted stories from their high school days, Kuroo sat beside Kenma, a large smile on his face as he glanced at Kenma, playfully nudging him with his large shoulders. Akaashi smiled at the two, his hand intertwined with Bokuto’s, matching rings shining under the lights. 

For the first time, Kenma noticed he wasn't on the outside anymore. 

He was a part of the story. 

The lights twinkled in the evening light as they talked and joked as the food cooled down, and eventually, everyone began to feel the effect of a hard day's work. Kenma could barely keep his eyes open as they helped clean up the aftermath of dinner, his eyes feeling so heavy. He jumped slightly as the phone rang, a confused look on Akaashi’s face as he raced up to answer. 

“Hello? Ah yes, he is here with us-” Akaashi glanced nervously at Kenma. “Yes please hold on one second, I apologize for any issues this caused.” 

Kenma’s heart stopped. 

Akaashi beckoned him over to the phone in the hallway of the house, covering the end piece with his hand.

“Kenma it’s your manager. I’m sorry your phone must not have any reception out here but he says he’s been trying to get a hold of you he has urgent news.”

From the kitchen, Kuroo listened in from a distance. 

Kenma nodded wide eyed as he took the phone out of Akaashi’s hand, placing it to his ear. 

He flinched as his manager's loud voice scolded him from the other end. 

“Yes, I understand. I’ll be back right away. I’m sorry.”

Kuroo could see the tension in Kenma’s shoulders.

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Kuroo felt his own heart racing,  _ ‘This is my fault…’ _

Kenma’s voice kept getting softer and softer.

“I’m sorry.” 

Kuroo tensed as he heard Kenma hang up the phone, and pretended to be very occupied with the napkin in his hand as Kenma entered the kitchen.

“What's up Kozume?” He asked, trying to make his voice sound light.

_ ‘You probably ruined his career, you idiot!’  _ Kuroo mentally scolded himself. 

Kenma awkwardly shuffled his feet as he rubbed his arm.

Kuroo couldn’t breathe.

“Ah-um that was my manager...my phone didn't have any signal so I missed his calls.”

Kuroo held his breath as he waited for him to continue.

Kenma didn't know why he couldn't just say it, his voice choking up slightly.

“I-I’ve been invited to a gaming tournament as a special guest. Along with a new sponsorship.”

Kuroo let his shoulder relax slightly.

“Well, that's good news, right? You’re not in trouble at least!”

Kenma nodded, biting his lip softly, mumbling something Kuroo couldn't hear.

Kuroo approached him with a nervous laugh, “You’re gonna have to speak louder than that Kozume-”

“The tournament is in America. I have to leave for America tomorrow.”

Kuroo stopped in his tracks, his arms still extended towards Kenma.

“I mean, it won’t be that long right?” He stammered.

Kenma met his eyes.

“I’ll be gone for a month.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Do you like the new name change? I just kept feeling Blossom wasn't resonating with me well, so I changed in to In Bloom. I think it matches the story a lot better! From this chapter, I've also fallen in love with Akaashi and Bokuto being so cute and maybe I have a spin-off fic in the works! Just maybe! Also, would you guys be interested in my Spotify playlist I made for this fic? I really like it when other authors have them so I made one as well! I really loved writing Kenma and Kuroo's physical dynamic because we love a short and tall king! Kuroo is so tall, I imagine he can just block Kenma from any harm! Again any comments or feedback is welcome and I will see you next time! Xoxoxo


	5. Tell me all the things you wanna do

Typically, Kenma was fine with leaving Japan for periods of time. Since it was for work, he also really didn’t have a say in the matter. America had its own charms, but it was also so different than what he knew. The loud noises, the bustling streets, it made him feel so claustrophobic and alone. His eyes stared aimlessly out of the car window, his manager showing him the schedule for the day.

“First you have a Q&A at 12, then from there we head to the event room to showcase the new gaming chair line, after that you have to play in that charity event…”

Kenma blinked to acknowledge he understood. 

His hands fidgeted in his lap, maybe from the coffee or sponsored energy drinks, or maybe even from nervousness. At most large gaming conventions like this, thousands of people would attend, and more than half of those people would want to see Kenma.

No not Kenma.

They wanted to see Kodzuken.

Kodzuken was the cooler version of Kenma. The guy who sat behind a screen and earned thousands of dollars per stream. 

Kenma was just Kenma. 

A hand interrupted Kenmas thoughts as he glanced at his manager who had a kind smile on their face. 

“Everything will be fine Kenma.”

Kenma gave a small smile and nodded.

The words would’ve meant more coming from someone else. 

  
  


The day proceeded with minor hitches, but overall, the turnout was amazing, even Kenma felt a little surprised. He had lines for meet and greets that stretched across dealers halls, his face plastered across posters and screens advertising multiple products. By the end of the weekend, his hands couldn’t even wrap around a pen. 

Kenma let out a sigh as he flopped onto the hotel bed, the large blankets cocooning him in a state of bliss. His body ached and his throat hurt but he felt fine. This was what he loved doing. His eyes closed quickly as his breathing became deeper and deeper.

Sleep sounded great.

Sleep sounded fantastic.

The loud ringing of his phone was not fantastic.

Kenma rolled over with a groan as he glared at his phone on the bed, a number displaying across the screen.

_ ‘I’m not answering…’ _

The ringing continued.

_ ‘I’m really not answering.’ _

The ringing kept going.

Kenma groaned as he rolled over, his hand reaching for the device. He quickly accepted the call, slamming the phone next to his ear.

“Hello?” He answered with a grumble, his displeasure seeping through the phone. 

“Kenma?”

His eyes widened slightly as he sat up, his heart beginning to pound.

“Who is this?”

The voice laughed, not the familiar crow of a certain friend of his. His shoulders lowered in disappointment. 

“It’s Akaashi, I just wanted to check in on you.”

A small smile returned to Kenmas face, he hadn’t realized how much he had actually missed Akaashi and his motherly tendencies. 

“I’m fine. The convention just ended but I’ll still be out here for a few weeks.” 

“I hope you are taking care of yourself. Don’t forget to eat, and don’t drink too much coffee.”

Akaashi knew Kenma enough to know he blinked in acknowledgment. 

“Akaashi, how did you get my number anyways?”

There was a bit of a pause, then a laugh.

“Your manager gave it to us so we could keep in touch. They felt bad about getting mad at you when you were here.”

“Us?”

“Yeah, Bokuto, Kuroo, and myself.” 

Kenma paused.

So Kuroo did have his number?

_ ‘And he never called…’ _

Kenma's eyes narrowed as he focused back on what Akaashi was saying.

“I’m sure Kuroo will reach out to you soon, he’s been working himself to death out here. Probably because he misses you and doesn’t know what to do with himself.”

_ ‘He misses me?’ _

Kenma was silent as Akaashi let out a chuckle. 

“If he hasn’t called you yet, don’t take it too personally. Kuroo is more emotional than you think, and he was worried you’d be so busy he wouldn’t want to distract you from your job. He already felt bad for taking you out to the farm.”

_ ‘No, I wasn’t mad..’ _

_ ‘I enjoyed it..’ _

“But anyway, I just wanted to check in, Bo says hi. We miss you Kenma.”

Why did his face feel so warm? His eyes started to blink rapidly as he nodded. 

“Miss you both too.”

Akaashi said one last goodbye before hanging up, leaving Kenma alone once more. 

Kenma has gone on so many of these trips before.

This is the first time he had people miss him.

This is the first time he’s had people  _ to  _ miss.

Resting back into the blankets, Kenma wrapped his arms around himself, holding himself together so he wouldn't fall apart.

His eyes felt so heavy.

Kenma drifted off to sleep.

**THREE WEEKS LEFT**

The next few weeks consisted of traveling from city to city, interview after interview, and meeting after meeting. Some days consisted of simple appearances on talk shows, while others took longer, like featuring on youtube videos or streaming with popular American streamers. Being so friendly wasn’t exactly his forte, but he was often told by the people he met he had a certain ‘cute’ air about him. 

“Alright so last for today is a stream with the new gaming computer from Xyzen and then you have a two-day break!”

Kenma nodded as he followed his manager back to their hotel rooms, his feet dragging against the carpet.

“I asked if they could just deliver and set up the PC for you so it’s ready to go! Your stream starts in fifteen minutes so make sure you're ready!”

Kenma nodded as he fished for his room key out of his bag, entering his room that probably cost thousands of dollars. His eyes scanned the setup which just looked expensive. Sighing, he collapsed into the chair, relishing in the comfort.

_ ‘Just one more…’  _

Logging onto his profile he quickly accessed his account and waited, shifting in his chair as he felt the usual sense of nervousness enter from his toes up to his fingertips. Kenma moved his mouse over the  **START STREAM** waiting until his alarm began to ring.

His lips curved into a small smile as the view count grew by the thousands. 

“Hello everyone, sorry I’ve been so busy.”

_ -Littlegiant: Its Okay! Take care of yourself! _

_ -Keengofdacourt: he looks so tired :(  _

_ -Milkbread123: when is bloom coming back?????? _

Kenma faltered at the last comment, putting his smile back on quickly. 

“Thank you all for your concern, but I’m fine! I’m happy to be doing so much within the gaming community right now.”

Kenma began the stream as he normally would, and continued to the game. It was a simple online RPG, though he wouldn't say it, it was honestly not great. 

“Today’s stream and setup are sponsored by Xyzen so if you guys need some equipment I really recommend theirs-” Kenma glanced down at the chat log, noticing a constant influx of comments. His eyes narrowed as he tried to catch what was going on. 

_ -tallboitsukki: guys chill he will notice soon _

_ -owlprince: KODZUKEN PLEASE LOOK AT THE CHAT _

_ -ironwall230: this is cute ngl _

_ -milkbread123: BRUH I AM CRYING _

_ -hamforyams: BLOOM IS HERE _

Kenma’s eyes widened, his pulse rising quickly as the last comment was swept away in a torrent of new ones. 

“He’s here?” Kenma mumbled out loud, before sitting up to resume his professional image. His eyes kept flitting from the screens to the comments, tripling by the thousands. He couldn't see a name like Bloom in the comments, it could also all be a joke to throw him off his game. His eyes kept going back and forth so much it began to hurt his head before the newest comment stopped his breathing entirely. 

_ -inbloom- Hey Kozume :) _

Kenma felt his breath halt in his throat as he stared at the comment before it was whisked away. He looked at himself in his monitor, his cheeks slightly red. 

_ ‘Kuroo was here.’ _

_ ‘Kuroo was watching him.’ _

Kenma resumed his look of indifference as he returned to his game.

“Hey bloom, long time no see.”

The comments came in in flurries, something along the lines of OTP and SHIP but Kenma did his best to ignore them. Quickly accessing his streams comment settings, he made sure any message that was from user  _ inbloom  _ would be pinned to the top of his chat log. 

_ -inbloom: Are you eating well? Stop drinking all those energy drinks >:( _

Kenma rolled his eyes, shifting slightly so he covered the array of empty cans in his room. 

“I’m eating just fine. How is the flower shop?”

_ -inbloom: shop is good! Missing our number one customer tho :(  _

Kenma gave a small smile, “I’ll be back soon. Just call me when you miss me.” 

It slipped out of his mouth before he could even think of what he was saying. The comments flooded the chat more than before, questioning their interactions as Kenma gave a nervous laugh. 

“Yeah, user  _ inbloom  _ is the same Bloom as before, we hang out a lot when I’m in Japan. He is a..good friend of mine.”

_ -inbloom: good friend????? Not your BEST friend????? _

Kenma couldn’t help the small laugh that came from his lips.

“Best friends call each other when one leaves the country.” 

Kenma was definitely going to milk this situation.

_ -inbloom: im sorry :(  _

Kenma shrugged, “It’s fine.”

His palms felt sweaty.

The stream continued on for another hour or so, the comments dying down as Kenma continued his conversation with Kuroo. It felt nice, having someone besides his manager to speak to.

With Kuroo he wasn’t Kodzuken.

He didn't have to be.

He got to be Kenma.

  
  


“All right guys I will see you next time!” Kenma smiled, ending his stream quickly. His body hunched over in his chair, exhaustion overtaking him. His eyes began flitting from open to closed before he lurched as his phone rang. 

He reached for it absentmindedly as he swiped to accept, expecting his managers usually cheery tone. 

“Hello?”

“Hey Kenma.”

He sat up quickly.

“Kuroo?”

It made him so happy to hear that cackling laughter through the phone. 

“Yeah who else would it be?”

“Akaashi has been checking in on me.”

Kuroo mentally cursed Akaashi for stealing his spotlight. 

“So...how have you been?”

Despite his tiredness, Kenma just couldn’t seem to stop talking. From the convention to his new sponsorships and deals, there was too much to say. 

Kuroo let out a low whistle. 

“Dang Kozume you're really living big out there!”

Kenma shrugged. 

“Well...make sure you're eating well! I can’t have you losing all those flower moving muscles we worked so hard to get!”

Kenma rolled his eyes. 

“I know you just rolled your eyes Kozume.”

Kenma smiled as he laid down on the bed, his heart beating a bit too quickly despite his exhaustion. The two stayed silent on the line, neither one wanting to exactly end the call. 

“Kuroo.”

“Kenma?”

Kenma fisted the sheets beside him.

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

Kuroo stayed quiet. 

“I didn’t want to distract you from your job.”

“That's a lie.”

Kuroo stayed quiet once more.

Kenma could hear him take a sharp breath before he spoke. 

“I was too scared. Hearing your voice would make me miss you more than I already did.”

The air felt too heavy for Kenma’s liking, his legs shifting against the coolness of the sheets. 

“Were friends Kuroo...I missed you too.”

Kenma could sense Kuroos grin through the phone. 

“Well, that's good to know. Don’t leave me for some hotshot American streamer okay? I’m  _ your  _ best friend.”

Kenma smiled.

“Got it.”

**TWO WEEKS LEFT**

Late-night calls with Kuroo became a new part of Kenmas schedule. His attitude became better as well, working quickly throughout the day so he could retreat to his room. 

“You’ve been working so diligently Kenma! So proud of you!” His manager smiled before they would part ways into their separate rooms. Once inside his room, Kenma would quickly slip into his comfortable clothes and would hop onto the bed propping up his phone. Raking a hand through his hair he would find Kuroos number before hitting the call button, waiting in anticipation until he heard his deep voice on the other end of the phone. 

“Hey Kenma.”

Kenma leaned back onto the pillows with a smile.

“Hey Kuroo.”

Their conversations would last well into the night, the time difference becoming a bit of a problem for them. 

“What time is it over there Kozume?”

“Late.” 

Kuroo would let out a low laugh.

“You really should be getting sleep.”

“I like talking to you though.”

They would also stay on the line together sometimes in a comfortable silence sometimes while Kuroo was arranging bouquets or when Kenma needed to make notes for his next meeting.

“When will you be home?”

Home. 

Not back in Japan.

Home. 

“Two weeks.”

Kuroo let out a sigh. 

“Too long.” 

Kenma let out a sigh, it was too long.

“Well...I should be heading to bed now.” Kenma yawned, adjusting himself into the comfort of his sheets. 

“Alright Kenma...but before you go could you just listen to something?” 

Kenma arched a brow as he nestled into his pillows

Kuroo let out a breath.

“Remember when we first met? Outside of Bloom? When you rage slammed all my flowers onto the ground?”

Kenma opened his mouth to argue but Kuroo continued with a laugh.

“Just kidding, but yeah when we met. To be honest, you probably don’t remember but we’ve met before that day. In high school.”

Kenma's eyes widened.  _ ‘Had they met before?’  _

“We had enough mutual friends I knew about you. I saw you in the bleachers sometimes during games, I figured you were only there for Yaku and Lev since they would drag you along.”

Kenma only remembered a handful of games he attended but felt a bit of shame he couldn't recall Kuroo from then. 

“You were always playing your games, and in our first year, your hair was dark too. Well, I guess the point is, I  _ saw  _ you. I even tried to talk to you once, but you just stared down at your phone when I approached you.” Kuroo laughed, but Kenma felt more guilt wash over him. 

Kenma remembered staring at his phone so much, he could often see the lower halves of the people who approached him, but if it wasn’t Yaku or Lev, he wouldn't give a second glance. 

Kuroo must have been one of those people. 

“It didn’t really bother me though, I found it kind of funny actually. I was so used to loud people like Bokuto I never realized some people really weren’t into socializing. I guess that's when I started to like you.” 

Kenma’s heart froze.

“W-what?” Kenma’s voice came out so softly, he doubted Kuroo could've heard it over the phone. Kuroo let out a nervous laugh. 

“Yeah, I had a bit of a crush on you Kozume! Of course, I never said anything though. So when we ran into each other later on I honestly didn't even recognize you, you weren't staring at your phone!” Kuroo laughed loudly. 

_ ‘How can he be laughing right now!?” _

“I realized it was you when you said you knew Yaku and Lev, it all started coming back to me. I honestly wanted to tell you at Akaashis but you cut yourself.”

The memory came back to Kenma.

_ “I appreciate you coming out here Kozume.” _

_ Kenma nodded and shifted a bit in his arms. _

_ He had never heard Kuroo speak so softly.  _

_ “No really I mean it...this place is really special to us, so I’m glad you’re here.” _

_ The air was too suffocating, it was getting harder to breathe and the house seemed so far away.  _

_ “Hey Kenma, do you remember in high school when-” _

_ Kuroo was interrupted by a loud gasp as they emerged from the rose bushes. Akaashi and Bokuto were in front of the house, putting their buckets of Hydrangeas into the truck when Akaashi spotted the two. _

“I just...wanted, to be honest with you.”

Kenma licked his lips, struggling to find the words to fill the silence. 

“D-do you still...like me?” Kenma asked softly, his heart pounding as he waited. 

Kuroo was silent. 

Kenma waited as he heard Kuroo let out a shaky breath.

“I do.”

Kenma sat up in the bed quickly, “You do what?”

Kuroo couldn't help the cackle that escaped his throat. 

“I do still like you Kenma.”

The line was silent again. 

“Do you like me?”

Kenma stared at his legs, fidgeting on the bed. He nodded.

“Kenma you know I can’t see what your doing right now so this is making me really nervous if you're going to reject me just say so-”

“I like you.”

Kuroo let out a low laugh.

“Good.”

The room felt too hot, Kenma nervously shifted on the sheets trying to find a cool spot. 

Kuroo liked him. 

Kuroo actually liked him. 

Kenma felt a warmth spread to his chest and he couldn't help but smile. He hoped Kuroo was smiling too. 

“You still there Kozume?” Kuroo’s voice sounded lower than before, a hint of a growl in his throat. It made Kenma shift his legs more. 

“Tell me all the things you want to do.”

“What do you mean Kenma?”

Kenmas face flushed furiously, but he was never one to shy away when he wanted something.

“If you were here, what would we be doing now?”

Kuroo let out a dark laugh, “Well where are you right now?” 

_ ‘Am I really about to do this right now?! Is this too soon?’  _

Kenma mentally cursed at himself for not controlling his thoughts. Of course, he could now freely imagine Kuroo whenever he wanted and not feel bad about it, but when imagining him, things often took a turn for more explicit activities. 

“I’m on my bed.”

“Good. Lean back.”

Kenma did as he was told. 

“Do you know I watched all of your interviews?”

Kenma was a bit surprised, “All of them?”

“Yep, especially when you wore suits. I couldn't help but imagine what it’d be like to have you underneath me while I slowly undressed you.”

Kenma was definitely not ready for this, but he wanted it all at the same time. He could feel how hot his face was as he shut his eyes in embarrassment.

“I also like it when you wear those super big hoodies, I only want you wearing mine from now on though.” 

Despite his embarrassment, it felt like a dream to have Kuroo saying these things in his ear.

_ ‘I hope this isn’t a dream…’ _

“It's not a dream Kozume.”

Kenma’s eyes widened, “Did I say that out loud?”

Kuroo just smiled as he continued, “Okay now take your shorts off.”

Kenma bit his lip but followed his instructions. 

“Kenma?”

“Kuroo?”

“If I were there, what would you want me to do right now?”

Kenma shut his eyes, focusing on Kuroos voice. He could almost feel the weight of him on the bed, Kuroo was so much larger than him. He would have that stupid smile on his face, and his arms would be pinning him to the bed. Kenma would be able to smell that familiar scent of him, flowers, and soil, and Kenma would run his hands through his hair. Just picturing Kuroos tanned skin was enough to make Kenma flushed. 

“I’d want you to kiss me,” Kenma answered honestly. 

There was a pause before Kuroo let out his contagious laugh. “Damn it Kozume, you’re way too fucking cute.”

“You asked what I’d want.”

“Yeah but I thought you were going to say something like,  _ ‘I’d want you to destroy my body all night Kuroo’  _ ya know something like that!”

The two laughed with each other on the phone, all embarrassment gone. 

“Well Kenma, we could either continue what we have going here or, you can get some sleep because I am pretty sure you need some.”

Kenma bit his lip as he weighed out the options, but the pull of Kuroo’s voice was too much.

“Could you talk to me while I...you know?” 

Kuroo smiled as he leaned back on his bed, his hair flopping in his face while he removed his own shorts, a permanent smirk on his face. 

“Anything for you.”

The two let out strangled gasps on either end of the phone, heavy breaths the only thing alerting each other of the other's presence. Kenma stared up at the ceiling, phone abandoned somewhere beside him as he tried to catch his breath. 

“You good Kenma?” Kuroo’s voice came through the other end. 

Kenma licked his lips, “Yeah let me just...catch my breath.” 

Kuroo chuckled as well. “It was good for me too.”

Kenma smiled as he wiggled his short back up, looking for something to clean himself up with. 

“How much longer until you’re home?”

Again,  _ home.  _

“One more week.”

“One more week.” Kuroo repeated. 

**ONE WEEK LEFT**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Sorry about the pause in updates, life hasn't been too kind to me so I lost motivation in writing. I hope this chapter brings some smiles and butterflies to you guys :) I hope to keep updating consistently but my Uni is resuming soon so I will try my hardest! Again, comments and feedback are always appreciated and I look forward to seeing you all next time! Xoxoxo


	6. Only worth living if somebody is loving you

**ONE WEEK LEFT**

Midnight phone calls became a recurring event. In the darkness of his hotel room, the light from Kenma’s phone was the only thing piercing the shadows. Here he was again, hand moving furiously as his breaths came out in ragged heaves, Kuroo on the other end whispering in low rumbles the sweet things Kenma had always wanted to hear.

“K-kuroo…” Kenma whined, his face contorting on the brink of pleasure, sweat rolling down his face. 

“Kenma.”

There was always something about the way Kuroo would say his name, Kenma realized. It was light and playful, it made his name sound like something so nice from the way it danced on Kuroo's tongue. Kenma let out a choked groan, his hand speeding up further, the lewd sound filling the empty air. 

“Is there something you want to say?” 

Kenma shut his eyes, focusing on Kuroo’s voice. 

“I j-just,” another shake racked through his body, “...m-miss you.”

Kenma’s pants were the only thing in the air as he waited, the line of Kuroo’s end silent. Kenma bit his lip, opening his eye slightly as he glanced at his phone.

_ ‘Maybe he didn’t...want to hear that.’ _

It was so hard now, Kenma realized. The pauses, the odd chuckles, everything seemed to have a double meaning now that Kuroo became a part of his world. The pause was long enough to where Kenma’s hand slowed down and he propped himself up on the absurd amount of hotel pillows. 

“Kuroo?”

There was still silence, then a sniffle.

“Kuroo are you...are you crying?”

There was a choked gasp on the other end, then a wet laugh.

“Fuck off….yes, I’m crying. I’m just..” Kenma could hear Kuroo let out a shaky breath, “I am just very happy Kozume.” 

“You’re a child.”

Kuroo snorted, “Whatever...you come home tomorrow yeah? You need to get some sleep.”

“I can go to bed whenever.”

“You probably can’t, you have an absurd amount of caffeine in your veins.”

They both laughed, filling the hot air in their usual comfort. 

Kenma rolled onto his side, relishing the cool feeling of the sheets against hit hot skin. He imagined what Kuroo looked like now, his hair pressed against his face, his eyes heavily lidded in a euphoric gaze. It was an image Kenma couldn't wait to see in person. He imagined the way Kuroo would look at him, as he stepped off the plane, would Kuroo run to him? Would Kuroo show him affection in public? They were entering a new territory, Kenma now realized. Kenma was famous, Kuroo was not. Kuroo would eventually be bombarded by news teams and gossip sites because of him. 

Kuroo would no longer be able to live a peaceful life.

Kenma laid there in the room, biting his lip, before turning his attention back to the screen. 

“Kenma? Kenma! Are you listening?”

Kenma made a soft grunt, which Kuroo already knew as a yes. 

“Alright...I’ll let you go. Look for the handsome man waiting at the airport tomorrow!”

“I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for Akaashi then.”

Kuroo released a choking gasp and Kenma laughed, a wholehearted laugh. 

“Whatever Kozume.”

“See you tomorrow,” Kenma whispered, clutching the phone closer and closer to himself. He could hear the smile in Kuroo’s voice. 

“One more day.” 

* * *

The airport was loud and cramped, much to Kenmas’ disdain. The flight was long and turbulent causing his anxiety to spike. The harsh bathroom lights of the dingy restroom only enhanced his dark circles, and he honestly felt terrible. 

_ ‘Kuroo is gonna let me have it…’ _

The thought of seeing his taller counterpart made the small man's heart jump, and pound fervently. It was different of course now, they literally had phone sex every night since the confession and they haven't even officially decided what this even was. There was a lot to unpack, which made Kenma’s anxiety spike even more. Letting out a breath, he adjusted his back as he headed out to the main floor, his steps growing quicker as he approached the final escalator to the last floor. He stepped onto the moving step, starting to glance around the crowd of people below. His mask was pulled up his face, and for a second he was worried maybe Kuroo wouldn’t recognize him. He stared, and moved, and fidgeted until he reached the bottom of the stairs. His heart stopped as the realization dawned on him.

He didn’t see Kuroo.

Panic started to arise within him, a cold sweat creeping over the back of his neck. 

Kuroo wasn’t here.

Kenma was being shoved around in the crowd of people, his breath starting to shorten.

Kuroo didn’t show up.

Kuroo isn't here.

Kuroo left.

_ Kuroo doesn't want to be with me.  _

Kenmas breathing stopped altogether as he stood in the crowd, the crushing weight of strangers enclosing around him. All he could hear was a buzz in his ears, the muddled laughter and yells molding together. 

It was all too much. 

His chest began to tremble, yet Kenma couldn’t move. Kenma was panicking, Kenma was afraid. He was vulnerable, he let someone in when he never did and now he was here in this hellish airport alone and with tears threatening to fall over his lashes-

A hand gently touched his arm.

His eyes slid up, immediately, looking for the worried face of Kuroo.

He wasn't there. Kenma’s eyes slid down, seeing a bright head of orange.

“Hey Kenma! You okay? I was calling for you but I lost you in the crowd!” The voice said, but Kenma hadn’t adjusted back from his attack. The hand began to pull on his arm, leading him out of the mesh.

“My car is right outside! Let's get you out of here!” 

Kenma moved, not of his own will however, his legs just seemed to follow along with the force pulling him. The automatic door opened, warm air caressing his face as his eyes dilated from camera flashes. 

“Kenma who is this?”

“Kenma how was the American tournament?”

“Kenma over here!”

The calls were loud and Kenma could feel his heart pounding. The car in front of him had a door open, and he quickly slid in, slamming the door shut immediately to try and drown out the yells.

The door on the driver's side opened quickly, the stranger letting out a sigh of relief. 

“Whew! You have to deal with that every day? That's super stressful.” 

Kenma finally blinked, his eyes sliding over to the side. 

“Hinata…”

Hinata, a childhood friend of his, smiled brightly back at him. 

“Did you have a panic attack? You look really pale…” Hinata asked with worry. 

Kenma shrugged, moving the vents in front of him to blow cool air onto his face, “I’m fine.”

Hinata gave a small smile as he started the car, pulling out onto the road.

The two sat in silence, the question on Kenma’s mind seemingly filling the space with tension. 

“Kuroo wanted me to tell you he’s sorry he wasn’t here.”

Kenmas head snapped to look at Hinata, a guilty look on his face. He let out a chuckle, “I guess when you mentioned the flower shop on your stream, floods of people started going there. He had to even call in Akaashi and Bokuto to help but they got so slammed he couldn't even get through the door! He’s really sorry.”

Kenma nodded hearing the news, Kuroo was okay, he was just busy. There was a part of it that still irked him, however, as Kenma was a person who hated being disappointed. Hinata noticed the frown on Kenma’s face and pushed his arm lightly. 

“Well, tell me about your trip then!”

  
  


The car ride wasn’t too long. Hinata drove with the skill of a newly licensed teenager as he weaved through the busy streets until Kenma allowed himself to release his breath as he saw his apartment approaching. 

“Man we’re here already? I didn't even get to tell you about Brazil…” Hinata frowned, pouting in his seat. Kenma patted his arm lightly.

“Next time.” 

The car slowly pulled over in front of his home, Hinata flicking the hazards on while they exited the vehicle. He groaned as he heaved Kenmas bag out of the bag, slamming it oh so graciously on the ground. 

“What do you even carry with you? Bricks?” He wheezed as Kenma shrugged, taking the handle with ease. 

“Energy drinks.” 

The two shared a smile, one Kenma was actually thankful to have after today. Hinata gave Kenma one final hug before retreating back to his car, watching the small boy creep into the front entrance of his apartment. Hinata quickly whipped out his phone, finding the K section of names. 

_ ‘The eagle has landed!’  _ He typed with a grin before hitting send. Hinata had known Kenma for a very long time, and for once, he noticed, Kenma was finally starting to enjoy others. 

After the airport incident, Kenma was more than ready to pass out. The harsh lights bothered him, the elevator music bothered him, the way his keys got stuck in the door bothered him. Shoving open his door with a huff, he allowed it to slam behind him, emphasizing just how bothered he was until he noticed a few odd things. For one, his lights were on. His entry way was illuminated when he knew for sure he turned them off before he left, and two, his trash was gone. He had become akin to the piles and piles of empty cans strewn about his room, but now, they were gone. Removing his shoes slowly in the doorway he quietly crept his way about the room, the loud volume of music masking his movements. His set up looked fine, his bed was made, and just as he was rounding the corner to the kitchen, a loud crash caused him to jump.

“Jesus Kenma! Don't you make any noise?”

Kenmas eyes widened as he was met with a bewildered Kuroo, standing in his kitchen. An apron haphazardly tied around his waist and steaks sizzling on the stove while Kenma’s radio was blaring old 80’s music. 

Kenma stared at Kuroo’s waist, not daring to move his eyes up further. Kuroo was here, in his home. Kuroo made him dinner.

Kuroo wasn't there this morning. Kuroo could see the annoyance form on Kenma’s face as he quickly untied his apron and approached the smaller man. 

He wasn't sure where to put his hands, so he opted for holding them strictly at his side. 

“Listen Kozume...I am so sorry I wasn't there today.”

Kenma shifted in his spot, still staring at Kuroo’s waist. He was happy. He was so happy Kuroo was here, but there was still a part of him that was upset. Kuroo had promised him something, and he didn't follow through.

Kuroo let out a heavy sigh, still waiting for Kenma to look at him. Carefully he kneeled down, allowing his hand to gently reach out to Kenma’s. He let his fingers lightly touch his hand, waiting for permission. Kenma allowed his hand to relax only slightly, but enough so Kuroo knew he was allowed to proceed. He wrapped his larger hand in Kenma’s and held in, allowing them a moment together.

Their first moment together. 

“I missed you.” Kuroo smiled, swinging their hands together. Kenma watched the movement as he nodded, which made Kuroo smile in response. It wasn't the way Kuroo wanted the night to go, but he was happy Kenma was starting to relax. 

He was willing to wait as long as it took until Kenma was ready to look at him. 

“I’m sorry I let you down Kenma.”

Kenma waited, enough so he could inhale quickly and lift his eyes, staring directly into Kuroo’s. He dropped their intertwined hands and reached forward, wrapping his thin arms around Kuroo’s neck. He pulled him close, shoving his nose into his neck, breathing in that warm scent of soil and flowers. Kuroo laughed the kind that rumbled through his body and gently wrapped his arms around Kenma, holding him tightly to his body. 

Kenma allowed himself to melt into the embrace, his feelings from the morning bursting from inside. He didn't mean for the tears to fall, but he couldn't stop them. Kuroo’s shirt was damn near soaked until Kenma was done, Kuroo’s hand rubbing his back consolingly the entire time. 

“I was so mad when you weren’t there,” Kenma muttered into the tear standing shirt, his hands tightly holding on to him. Kuroo sighed but nodded, allowing Kenma the space to admit his feelings. 

“And I was mad that you didn't let me know.”

Kuroo nodded, his hands still moving therapeutically on Kenma’s back.

“But…”

“But?” Kuroo whispered back, his hand slowly coming to a stop. Kenma leaned back, Kuroo’s hands holding his waist close to his body as the two stared at each other. 

“I’m just happy you're here now.” 

Kenma never had what people called guts.

Kenma never did anything he didn't want to do.

He never saw the point in anything that wouldn't better himself. 

Within his kitchen, in his grandiose apartment, Kenma summoned up anything he had left within him and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Kuroo’s. A blush spread across his cheeks as Kuroo grinned against his lips, his large hand holding him tighter while his other reached up to Kenma’s cheek, cupping his face. Over the phone, Kenma could only imagine what Kuroo looked like while they...spoke, but here he was now, in the flesh, pulling Kenma’s hair as the two stumbled around the place. 

When standing, Kuroo was a few feet taller than Kenma, and that made Kenma’s stomach flutter in a way it never had before. Kuroo was kissing him. Kenma was kissing Kuroo. They were standing in Kenma’s kitchen, kissing.

Kenma wanted more. His small hands began to move, first, to Kuroo’s stomach, then slowly up to his chest. The sensation caused Kuroo to groan against Kenma’s lips, a sound Kenma wanted to hear again. Kuroo held Kenma’s face easily in one hand, using his thumb to rub his cheek while he removed his lips from Kenma’s and attached them on his neck.

Kenma gasped and the sensation and Kuroo’s eyes glazed over in lust.

Kuroo wanted more.

Kenma needed more. 

As Kuroo worked his tongue on Kenma’s neck, he noticed a haze behind Kuroo.

“K-Kuroo wait…” Kenma gently tried to glance around his broad shoulders, but closed his eyes in a wince as Kuroo bit down on a sensitive spot. Kenma let out a sigh as his concerns were washed away with the soothing laps of Kuroo’s tongue, and the way his hands wound themselves in Kuroo’s hair. 

“Kenma…” Kuroo panted, causing a shiver to rack his body.

Everything was perfect.

Until the smoke alarms went off.

* * *

“Next time, keep your eye on the stove.”

Kuroo nodded solemnly as the officer left out the front door. Turns out, steaks  _ can  _ in fact catch on fire if left on the stove too long. 

A panicked Kuroo had begun to scream while the loud ear-piercing sirens went off throughout the apartment. Kenma, always the realist, simply grabbed the fire extinguisher located near his front door and doused the small flame out. 

It wasn’t the finest moment for Kuroo. 

“I wanted to surprise you with dinner…” he pouted, leaning against the marbled kitchen counter. Kenma shrugged as he opened the windows in attempts to rid his home of the burning smell. 

“We can just get pizza?” Kenma offered.

Turns out, pizza can be a romantic meal as well. Kuroo was thankful when Kenma disclosed his topping preferences, Hawaiian, and grinned as he dialed the nearest pizza spots number. 

“Hey me too!” 

The food arrived quickly and the two made themselves comfortable on the couch, while Kenma flipped through the movie channels for something to watch. It was almost too normal, the way Kuroo had his arm hanging on Kenma’s shoulders, and the way Kenma had his legs intertwined with his. Kuroo felt the most relaxed he had in a while, yet his heart was still racing from the events moments prior. Kenma found some film and leaned into Kuroo’s side. It felt as though this had always been their life. 

“Hey Kozum-” Kuroo began but glanced down to his smaller counterpart. Kenma’s eyes were shut, his breathing slowed while a small smile graced his features. 

_ ‘He’s already asleep.’  _ Kuroo thought giddily, cursing himself that his phone wasn't on hand to snap a quick picture. Placing a soft kiss on Kenma’s hair, Kuroo allowed himself to settle into the couch, taking the smaller man's hands in his and fell asleep beside Kenma. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I've had such big life changes so I'm so sorry I haven't been updating. I do plan on finishing In Bloom by Chapter 10 but I am in a better state of mind where I am excited to be working on it once again! I related to Kenma in this chapter a lot, and I hope you guys can find some solace in this relationship. I hope you all will enjoy the journey and as always, comments and feedback are always so appreciated. I do want to make a spin-off series with Bokuto and Akaashi so please be expecting that as well. I hope you all are well and I will see you next time! Xoxo


End file.
